Peter Hawker

Colonel Peter Hawker, (1786-1853) was a celebrated diarist, author and sportsman who was accounted one of the "Great Shots" of the 19th Century. His sporting exploits were widely discussed and were reported in The Times.^[1][2][3] Born in London of Colonel Peter Ryves Hawker and Mary Wilson Hawker (Nee Yonge) Hawker was educated at Eton and then entered military service by purchasing a commission as a Cornet (military rank) in the First Royal Dragoons in 1801; claiming, in his diary, that at the age of fifteen he was the youngest ever to serve at this rank but that he had to pay “the greatest ever sum for the privilege”.^[4]

Peter Hawker later served under the Duke of Wellington seeing action in the Peninsular War where he received a serious thigh wound at the battle of Talavera, and by his own actions earned the word "Duoro" for his regiment's colours. Invalided home and discharged from the army Hawker was retired from active service with an annual pension of £100.00. Despite his injuries and on-going ill health he then took an active commission as Colonel of his local Yeomanry.

Peter Hawker is best known today for his published works on the sports of shooting and fishing. Hawker published his “Advice to Young Sportsmen” in 1814, a popular work at the time having at least seven imprints with a last paper print in 1975. Peter Hawker kept a regular diary, later published in abridged form with an introduction by Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, which provides details of his observations of post-Napoleon Europe, wildfowling, game-bird shooting and details of hunting techniques and conditions prevalent in the late 18th and early 19th Century. Hawker also published a memoir on the Peninsula War.^[5] A mark of his influence can be seen that even 40 years after his death an Australian reviewer of Hawker's diary states that "Probably no book on the subject of sport ever enjoyed so wide or so long sustained a popularity as the "Instructions to Young Sportsmen"".^[6] Hawker's attitude to guns and shooting is critisised from a modern perspective e.g. in the Ecomomist (with respect to teaching the young to shoot)^[7],the Guardian ("Why Shoot Coots?") and was not above earlier critiscism, (e.g. Payne-Gallwey describes Hawker's personality as "unattractive" in his introduction to his diary).

Peter Hawker was an amateur musician, studying the piano under Henri Bertini amongst others and he regularly played the organ at his local church.^[8] Hawker's interest in music was not limited to playing however, he devised and patented a device to assist the teaching of the piano; namely his “hand moulds”.^[9]

Hawker’s inventiveness went beyond musical matters, he was active in the development of “detonating” firearms (i.e. the percussion lock), Punt Gunning and also claims (in his diary) to have invented a “smokeless chimney”. Hawker was a firm friend of the then and now celebrated gunsmith "Joe" or Joseph Manton; Hawker was not just a user of Manton’s guns he took an active interest in their design and participated in the manufacture of his own commissions.

References

1. ^ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
2. ^ Kings Of The Trigger - Biographical Sketches Of Four Famous Sportsmen: The Rev. W.B. Daniel, Colonel Peter Hawker, Joe Manton and Captain Horatio Ross, by Thormanby, Published 1901, London
3. ^ The Times, Tuesday, Sep 18, 1827; pg. 3; Issue 13387; col D
4. ^ The diary of Colonel Peter Hawker, (Volume I) 1802-1853
5. ^ Journal of a regimental officer during the recent campaign in Portugal and Spain under Lord Viscount Wellington, Colonel Peter Hawker, Reprinted 1910.
6. ^ Oakleigh Leader (North Brighton, Vic. : 1888 - 1902) Saturday 16 December 1893
7. ^ http://www.economist.com/node/457168
8. ^ The Times, Monday, Nov 03, 1958; pg. 12; Issue 54298; col C
9. ^ Specification of the Patent granted to Peter Hawker, of Long-Parish House, near Andover, in the County of. Hants, Major in the Army; for a Machine, Instrument, or Apparatus to assist in the Attainment of proper Performance on the Piano-Forte, or other keyed Instruments. Dated November 1, 1820

External links

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Paywall) [1]
• The diary of Colonel Peter Hawker, (Volume I) 1802-1853 [2]
• The Diary of Colonel Peter Hawker (Volume II) 1802-1853 [3]
• Journal of a regimental officer during the recent campaign in Portugal and Spain under Lord Viscount Wellington, Colonel Peter Hawker, 1910.[4]
• Instructions to young sportsmen in all that relates to guns and shooting, Colonel Peter Hawker, 1910.[5]
• Specification of the Patent granted to Peter Hawker, of Long-Parish House, near Andover, in the County of. Hants, Major in the Army; for a Machine, Instrument, or Apparatus to assist in the Attainment of proper Performance on the Piano-Forte, or other keyed Instruments. Dated November 1, 1820 Page 266.[6]
• Oakleigh Leader (North Brighton, Vic. : 1888 - 1902) [7]

Persondata
Name	Hawker, Peter
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1786
Place of birth	London
Date of death	1853
Place of death